S H I E L D Agent Rhapsodos: A Part That Remains
by Wayang.Silver
Summary: Prequel to Taking the Backseat. Before he got into SHIELD, his second life started as a teenager. Genesis somewhat questions the Goddess why of all things his second life started off like this; until he meets an old man in a hospice by sheer luck. Minerva's last lesson: A Part That Remains. 2 of 5 Chapters.
1. Chapter 1

**S.H.I.E.L.D. Agent Rhapsodos: A Part That Remains**

**__****Beta-read by: CommentatorinthePeanutGallery and Sypherianlp. (June 21st, 2013)**

**_Disclaimer: _**_I do not own any rights to anything that belongs to Marvel (The Avengers) and Square Enix (Final Fantasy VII), nor am I making a profit from this. It's fanfiction: I'm borrowing the characters, universe etc. __  
_

**Summary:** Prequel to Taking the Backseat. Before he got into SHIELD, his second life started as a teenager. Genesis somewhat questions the Goddess why of all things his second life started off like this, until he meets an old man in hospice by sheer luck. Minerva's last lesson: A Part That Remains. 1 of 5 Chapters.

**AU Notes:** Hello to my readers! If you haven't read S.H.I.E.L.D. Agent Rhapsodos: Taking the Backseat, you're not missing out much (other than the fact Genesis in the near future becomes a S.H.I.E.L.D. agent). So, here we are!

This is a rather short prequel I've been cooking up to explain the events _how_ Genesis ends up on our beloved Earth and life before the Avengers. The reason why I didn't start off with universe traveling/hopping at the beginning of 'Taking the Backseat'… was because it would divert from the plot of the fic. This story uses a word and drabble format, each chapter consisting of 10 words. So with 50, it's going to be a total of 5 chapters.

Enjoy!

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_**~ Chapter One: It Starts Quite Unexpected ~**_

_"You have to take risks. We will only understand the miracle of life fully when we allow the unexpected to happen." ~ Paulo Coelho_

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******_:: Life ::_**

A figure of magnificent and fierce beauty stood—no, floated—gracefully before him. With bright shining armor, her entire being radiated power and life.

Her presence was enough to make the fallen 1st Class SOLDIER bow down on one knee before the ethereal deity that was Gaia. She was the Goddess, Minerva. In the end, he knew that he would have had to return here, to the Lifestream. Genesis' life only existed with borrowed time during the War of Resolve. Whatever judgment she would hand down upon him he would accept with open arms. Whether it would be to disperse like so many other souls into the Lifestream or to go forth to the Promise Land, – he couldn't care less. He had served his role and fulfilled his purpose on Gaia, his fate to bring about the change she had entrusted him with.

___'You have done well, Chosen One.____ Is the afterlife what you truly seek?'_Minerva asked.

Confused by her question, Genesis only stared. He asked himself if that was what he really wanted. In many ways he wanted to go change the course of events, to go back in time and undo all the mistakes that he had made.

___'I think you know there are things that cannot be changed, no matter how much we all wish for them to be different.'_

"Th-then I don't deserve the afterlife?" he croaked. Fear that his Goddess would reject him gripped at his heart.

___'You misunderstand,'_she said softly in a comforting manner. ___'After the role you __were____ given, what is it that you desire?'_

After so much pain, suffering, and battles, Genesis was glad he still had memories of happier times. Memories from when his world wasn't so twisted, when he still was living with what was his family and friends. Even after that, he had the chance to have a few happier times with Cloud's oddball group. While the times were short, he wouldn't have minded to experience those small, warm moments again.

This time the Goddess smiled kindly at him. ___'I see. You seek life.'_

The crimson SOLDIER shook his head, "I am dead."

___'True. You are dead here on Gaia,'_Minerva stated, and then continued, ___'Nonetheless, if you __had____ the chance to live a clean slate in another world, would you take it?'_

___'Be warned. I cannot erase your memories from Gaia. There will be hardships along the way, but I will guide you if you ever feel lost.'_

Genesis was shocked. "You would really do that?"

___'Yes.'_

He gulped at the thought of living in a new world. A place where he could start over and have the things he lost back in his time; and role as the Catalyst and WEAPON.

"Then I accept," Genesis said.

___'Then so be it.'_

_._

_._

******_:: Lonely Road ::_**

Genesis never felt so alone in his entire life.

He was outside of his comfort zone. It was like adapting to his degradation all over again,– just without the pain and the dying.

Here he was, in Chicago, the Windy City, in the United States of America; he had no idea why he was sent to this particular country. There were hundreds of nations and hadn't a single clue where he was. The strange thing he had come to find out was that this world was filled with humans and animals, but no monsters. This meant his combat skills were near useless unless he decided to join the military.

Worst of all, he was a freaking teenager! No money, no place to stay, and raging hormones that were bound to make his emotions unstable. The auburn haired _'teen' _only wore a black hoodie, a red t-shirt, and black jeans—and he had thought degradation was bad. Genesis ended up in the worst parts of the streets, where gang fights were frequent. The streets weren't a safe place to stay, but he didn't really have anywhere to go. Heck... he didn't even know what _to do._

For three days he wandered around the streets, scouting the area to become familiar with it and to find whatever scraps of food that were available. Whenever he came across any spare change on the ground, he'd make sure no one was watching and snatch it up greedily. Genesis wasn't proud of it, but he wanted to know more about this new world he lived in, and an empty stomach wasn't going to help. He was able to survive with little food and water thanks to the Mako he still had in his veins. However, he didn't know for how long he would last and if he was going to survive in this new life, he needed more information about this world.

Another week passed by.

Food was rare, but he now had other problems.

Genesis cursed as he breathed in and out deeply after he got chased down by a gang calling him a 'Mutant'. He'd remember reading from thrown newspapers that it was what the people called those who had special abilities. With the way his eyes were glowing, they suspected him for one. Another few hours after running, he bought cheap colored contact lens off the street to cover his mark that made him a SOLDIER. Sure, he did manage to beat up one gang by himself with the abilities he had, but it only made the whole affair worse. The gang held grudges and he was forced to leave the area he first 'dropped' in and find a new area. All he still had was an old backpack with survival tools he found through his walks on the streets and the clothes on his back. Bad thing was – they wanted him dead just because he was different.

Here he thought he was free from being called a monster.

In desperation of finding a new home, he eventually (another week later) found a youth community that was actually willing to let him in. He knew the Goddess was kind and forgiving in this life. In just three days he was accepted into the foster home foundation, there was an opening for smart street kids to get a scholarship program and a chance to get full education. Genesis was determined not to waste this life and took the test. He passed with flying colors, that was thanks to his time in ShinRa and the fact he was actually a living a second time around.

The auburn haired teen didn't care he hadn't had real foster parents yet. Personally, he preferred getting this done alone. He'd pass the cadet classes with relatively no trouble and now at the age turning sixteen soon, he shouldn't have any trouble right?

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******_:: High School ::_**

Secondary education on Earth wasn't what he expected.

Genesis realized he didn't have the most normal experience as a teenager – _understatement of a lifetime _– since his world was crazy enough to recruit 14 year old children into the military.

The classes weren't so bad on Earth, nor was the amount of homework him and his peers would get (it was not as worse as ShinRa paperwork). The only thing that rather sucked was the brats around him. With his grades at flying colors and scholarship in hand, his status was more than enough to have many students feeling jealous of him. He also excelled in physical education, so when he rejected the offer to join the football team or even the offer to get into their cheer-leading club, well, he pretty much made most of the 'popular' teens resent him. Genesis would roll his eyes at the many numerous times they'd try to get his attention, because frankly, he just wasn't interested in joining them. He could have easily joined in along with them, but with his powers still intact and his last life being not so normal, Genesis wasn't quite so sure how his current peers would take it. Besides, there were other clubs outside school he joined like martial arts and arts that were more interesting.

A month later, things got worse.

Outside of school, he had accidentally got caught by one of the jocks when he was changing his contact lens, and because of it, he was labeled a mutant. Only it was a shame when there was a testing program at school he wasn't determined as one, the results came out negative. Those who didn't like him didn't even believe the doctors. So if the school couldn't do anything to him, those people who hadn't liked the results took it into their own hands. It was the beginning where Genesis would have to watch his surroundings more carefully.

The boys and some girls who didn't like him were always prepared, whether they'd be by his locker or outside the school so they could throw him into the dumpster. Of course, Genesis wasn't that stupid. He was a former SOLDIER, heck, long ago they even wanted him to be a Turk (which he rejected). Getting away from them was child's play, and he easily broke into the school at night to get into his locker to get his things if he wasn't able to get them during the day. The auburn haired teen had made it his business from that moment on to bring his books and belongings with him at all times. He simply didn't take chances.

Another month later, that's when his problems spread from inside school to outside.

Unluckily for Genesis, the kids who hated him had ties to the street gangs outside the school—not that this wasn't expected—and now Genesis had more trouble than he had bargained for. He was still aiming to keep his records on top of the class, but with trouble of getting school to the foster home and vice versa was going to make his high school days a lot tougher.

High school drama was definitely now on Genesis' 'Worst Points of my second Life' list.

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******_:: Stumble ::_**

He hated running with a passion.

Genesis wasn't going to fight the whole gang behind him either. Too many hassles with the police, it could get his scholarship in jeopardy, and he wanted to come out on his secondary education clean without a mark on it. He shrugged in his mind it was good practice in using his enhanced speed and stamina at times like this. Although, he had wished many times he didn't have to keep running around in circles through the streets. He was intent on getting home or to the library to study, dammit!

The auburn haired teen was running at full speed and stopped abruptly, skidding to a halt as he spotted a building that looked similar to a hospital but also foster home. He stumbled a few steps. And before he could stop himself, Genesis fell flat on his face on the pavement. Recovering from the fall with pain to his face and ego, he stood up briskly remembering he had people after him. He shook his head snapping himself to reality. It was not the most pleasant experience he'd like to repeat again. Never in his life did he stumble so recklessly like he did now. Here he thought his SOLDIER reflexes would save him from that. Yet it was nice for a change no one would ever know the once great commander of ShinRa stumbled, here he was nobody.

He cursed to the point it would have made a certain swearing pilot proud. His ears picked up as footsteps echoed behind him and he hastily headed towards the public facility.

Hiding would be enough, right?

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******_:: Jump ::_**

_Wrong._

Apparently, the gang members knew about the area than he did. It was expected as he was on their home turf.

The former SOLDIER was surrounded, but he easily picked up the holes in their formation, took advantage, swiped one thug with his leg to the ground, and after made a run for it. Genesis was very sure he could hear them run from behind him as he ran, but worse, he heard new voices coming from other routes heading to the area with his enhanced hearing. His mind was warning him that his options were decreasing in getting away unscathed. He skidded and made a sharp right turn that soon lead him closer to a fence and an open window.

"He went that way! We got him trapped now!"

He gulped as he realized he was trapped in an intersection. The gangsters were coming around the block and every direction of the said juncture.

What to do?

His eyes darted to the only available escape and hiding spot, an opened window.

Scrambling in panic, Genesis jumped into the open window hoping for the best.

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******_:: Meeting ::_**

Meeting an old man that was a patient stuck in a hospital bed was not on Genesis' meet and greet list. Obviously, Genesis gathered that it wasn't on the old man's list either as the old guy was giving him the 'evil eye' so he'd scram off out of the bedroom. The teen would have gladly done so if it weren't for gangsters proclaiming loudly that Genesis had disappeared like the 'freak' he was from the road. Genesis immediately dove for the opened empty clothes closet and hid himself till he they weren't heard yelling from the street.

Once they were gone, Genesis bowed and apologized to the man.

Without looking back, he leaped out of the window and headed straight for his foster home.

The old man only stared blankly at the window, wondering what the hell just happened.

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******_:: Awkward ::_**

Talk about awkward.

It was the third time that week he was stuck again with the old man.

Genesis wanted to bang his head against the nearest surface enough times until it cracked to a billion pieces.

Those people who made him their hunting prey were getting more persistent every time he out run on them. He was beginning to find it tough to get to his outside school clubs that he decided to quit them and focus on his studies. Genesis was here because it was the only place they didn't dare chase him into – well they haven't figured that he went in – but he honestly didn't want to test it if they did found out. The old man yet again was giving him the death glares so he'd vamoose away from the room. In a way it reminded him of how the Turks would use such an expression to get people running in the opposite direction.

"What are you looking at _brat_?" the patient seethed.

"You," Genesis replied simply, not at all intimidated by the old man's glares and even managing to keep a leveled gaze on him. "You remind me of those glares super spies give people so they'd scram."

"How did you know?" the old man asked, rather impressed by Genesis's statement.

"I'm very observant." was his shrugged answer. It wasn't exactly a lie on Genesis' part. With a small incline of his head, he left this time as soon the coast was clear outside.

The old man was just going ask something as the 'kid' disappeared. He knew a smart mind when he saw they kid through his eyes. Three times they've met and neither knew of each other's' names. He sighed and grunted in his bed. The old timer couldn't move from his bed, but he had a hunch it wasn't going to be the last time he'd see the kid again – especially when the gangs seemed to make the road next to his bedroom window a favorite spot to chase the red head into a corner.

The fact the 'brat' he labeled respectfully bowed in apology every time he landed inside his room, made it even awkward for an old timer like him. It made him wonder why the boy didn't hold his ground and fight.

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******_:: Ignore ::_**

The old man lost count how many times the red head teen had ignored him. He even didn't kept count on how many times the teen had dropped in on him.

Taunting the kid to get a reaction was like kicking a wall – he didn't budged at all – and replies were simply non-existent.

The former CIA agent had given up all semblance of hope in getting rid of the teen from his room. While there was still the option to call the nurses in, the old man still had an ego he preferred to have intact. On the other hand, most of the nurses or caretakers in the hospice were wary of him thanks to his infamous temper. He had a reputation of being a rather 'unstable' patient just to avoid the worst of noises that resided the place.

It was quite a feat – ignoring a still sharp retired agent – for a brat like him. The elder man was certain he exhausted every type of glare that would have Nazi spies run for their lives in World War II. Not to forget, he was quite certain even the nurses weren't as resilient as the red head teen. Most of them wouldn't dare stay in the room any longer, but the kid? The kid dismissively ignored him in any attempts of starting a conversation, only giving him a moment's notice before going back to what seemed like homework.

Well, it wasn't like the teen had bothered him in any way (besides being present in the room). However, the more time he spent with the teen, the sooner the former CIA agent realized he wasn't a troubled kid. He had caught glimpses of the teen's school grades and scholarship papers from a good distance. The flying colors would easily have made his peers envious, and not to mention forms that he was taking his end of high school exams early.

_So____, the __kid's____ a genius or prodigy of some sort_, he thought with bemusement.

With flaming medium length red hair, fair complexion, and slightly lean yet athletic features, the teen didn't seem to look like geek material. Especially the way he now wore ragged jeans and a faded red t-shirt would fool most people he was the average Joe on the street. After another half an hour of non-stop writing on an essay, the red head cleaned up his things. He inclined with respect to the old man, swiftly made his way out the window, jumped, and disappeared.

The old man swore out loud as he forgot to ask the kid's name _again_.

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******_:: Degrade ::_**

This was the twentieth 'unexpected' visit Genesis paid the old man to.

As much as he could have ignored the elder man's glares, the former 1st Class SOLDIER couldn't ignore the man's deteriorating appearance and health. To sum it up, his now sleeping form reminded Genesis like a wilting flower that was starting to cripple brown. Even the room he had numerous times used as a hiding space didn't have a nice atmosphere to it. It was painted white plain and bare, with no gifts or letters or even signs of relations with other people. Plainly put, the room was outright depressing.

Genesis had later found out the place that served as his hiding base: a hospice. It was a place where people with incurable diseases stayed till they die – not very surprising that the gangsters had stopped pursuing him altogether by now. Between feeling jealous and pity, Genesis wasn't sure what to feel at first. Unlike him and what he went through his degradation, the place was a much hospitable place to die in than left in the wastes to rot. Yet it seemed the old man either had no one left or he pushed everyone away from him. The now teen guessed with the latter, as he noted the old timer never called on the nurses the numerous times Genesis barged into the room.

_How foolish_, Genesis thought. Well, he didn't blame the old man. Even the bravest people could be afraid of dying, and it wasn't that you had a decision on how to die. Well, unless one committed suicide, but some people just didn't have the choice to whether it could be a quick and painless death.

Watching the old sickly man doing things on his own and refusing any sort of help, reminded Genesis back to the worst times he suffered from his degradation. He could deny all the help, keep up a strong façade in front of other people, but he wouldn't entirely erase the fear of dying alone. It was probably the reason why back on Gaia all those years ago… he called upon Zack to fight him at the Banora Underground. Even without his SOLDIER pride and honor restored, he figured at least he didn't die alone – even if it meant he'd die by Angeal's Buster sword as a monster.

When the old man's heart rate readings on the machines beeped with alarms, Genesis did the sanest thing he could do. _To hell with the old man's stubbornness!_

He called for help.

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******_:: Remain ::_**

Even after the old man was declared stable, Genesis chose to remain in his room and waited till he woke up.

He didn't mind to sleep over, since the next day was the weekends and there wasn't much to do but stay in his foster home. Most of all the homework he had been with him anyway, and he'd get them done while he waited. Nevertheless, in the time he spent waiting the elder man to wake up… he wasn't sure why he remained by the old man's side. Actually, the only reason why he stuck around was because the Lifestream flow in him told him to stick around. Genesis wasn't sure why it was telling him this, but the Lifestream hadn't been wrong till now guiding him in finding his current foster home and formal education. It was a gift the Goddess gave him before he was sent away to Earth.

Hours later, Genesis had woken up that morning feeling stiff no thanks to the ridged chair he slept on. His eyes blinked with surprise as he was faced with the old man observing him from the bed.

"You called the nurses, didn't you?" the old man asked. He looked a little worse for wear but at least he was awake.

Genesis inwardly winced if the man was going to blame him for letting him live. "Are you mad?"

There was an uncomfortable silence in the room. But the old man then gathered his courage and asked, "Why?"

"Impulse," the former commander answered lamely. He then then sighed, "And… I didn't want you to die alone."

The old man now had an unreadable expression. He seemed to be loss for words at the thought of a stranger who cared. His eyes shifted to the floor where numerous stacks of papers were laid out; clearly the kid was doing his homework and studies while he waited.

"Am I bothering you sir?" Genesis asked politely, feeling awkward at the stillness of the room.

The patient ignored the question, although he was pleasantly surprised by the polite question. He instead inquired, "Got a name kid?"

The red head teen sighed visibly because he didn't like being called a kid, "Genesis Rhapsodos. Just call me Genesis and not 'kid'." The former SOLDIER replied. He then looked at the patient's family name that was on a clipboard with interest. "I know your family name, but should I call you that or your first name?"

"Call me Robert." the old man replied with a light tone. Robert thought over the kid's name, it was a weird and unique one. He paused before he asked, "You're staying?"

"If you need a friend, I suppose," Genesis said rather hesitantly. He wasn't sure the man even wanted him there.

Robert smiled tiredly, "Then you're welcomed to stay."

It was the least Robert can do for the teen that saved his life last night. While he could have gotten mad at the kid he didn't die and end all his suffering in that one night, Robert inwardly admitted he was glad enough someone cared. He'd long given up people would want to spend their time on him. Sighing with relief, he laid himself back and rested. The teen only gave him a thankful nod silently back at him and remained there.

In the morning, Robert woke up to Genesis bringing in two trays of food with him. "Breakfast, Robert?" he asked with a light tone.

Another surprise, the teen really did waited on him. "Sure." Robert responded briefly.

Being a former agent, he couldn't help think what the kid's motive was. He complied with the teen's presence but didn't hope for too much. However, in the days that followed… the teen came back to his room at the same times he usually did, even if those boys that chased him had stopped their acts. Rest assured, Robert then had started to like Genesis' silent company at first, but soon they eventually were on speaking terms. He shortly found out that Genesis was person who took upon numerous masks to hide his real self. Oddly enough, he had a paranoia that many would expect an agent to have and hid it subtlety to the point Robert was sure only a professional would have noticed it.

"Is there a reason why you're hiding under many masks?" he had asked one day.

Genesis' face seemed to be alarmed at first, like his secret had gone down the drain. Yet he swiftly composed himself, but all the same took on an evasive stance. "I've been running all my life Robert. The least I could do now is blend in."

Robert detected that wasn't a lie at all. It went along with his story of being in a nursing home – but he couldn't help but on instinct feel there was a lot more to the teen. While he didn't have all the time in the world left, perhaps Robert made it his goal to find about just who Rhapsodos was. During his worst, Genesis had remained with him. With or with no reason, the old man decided that he could use the company and a friend that remained with him till the end.

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_"Nearly all the best things that came to me in life have been unexpected, unplanned by me." ~ Carl Sandburg_

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_**TBC... Chapter 2 of 5 ...**_

_**AU End Notes: **I do **NOT** own the character **'Robert'** and he is an **official Marvel Cinematic Universe character;** therefore he belongs to Marvel. Just who he really is... I have deliberately left his last name out; you'll find out soon..._

___Comments, opinions, your thoughts, are always welcomed._


	2. Chapter 2

**S.H.I.E.L.D. Agent Rhapsodos: A Part That Remains**

**__****Beta-read by: CommentatorinthePeanutGallery and Sypherianlp. (Sept 13th, 2013)**

_**Disclaimer: **Refer to chapter 1._

**Summary:** Prequel to Taking the Backseat. Before he got into SHIELD, his second life started as a teenager. Genesis somewhat questions the Goddess why of all things his second life started off like this, until he meets an old man in hospice by sheer luck. Minerva's last lesson: A Part That Remains. 2 of 5 Chapters.

**Thanks for Reviewing:** **A Midsummer, Purple Pallbearer, Mel, Athina na, HolleyS, and Kelana-ti.** Sorry if I can't reply to each of you individually, but I'll reply to a few things here. For one, I'm estatic that everyone likes this story and even more suprisingly Robert, even though he's a very minor MCU character. I won't reveal who Robert really is until it's right. However, I will drop a few hints here and there. So watch out for them and keep guessing. *grins There will be more awkward situations Genesis will face on Earth (no doubt about it), as it's here where he's adapting to a new world.

**Thanks to:** **Yllyana, PbookR, Moon-Angelica,** and **Aethelhild** putting this fic into their C2!

**AU Notes: **RL is busy at the moment I don't have time to write as I used to (I can only write on weekends now [and that's if I don't have events to attend]). If anyone is asking about 'Taking the Backseat', the latest chapter at over 10k word mark (and ongoing), so you're not waiting for nothing. As for this prequel story, I've finished it, and the remaining chapters soon to be with my beta readers. So hopefully when they're not too busy this fic will be updated ASAP.

As always...

Enjoy!

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_**~ Chapter Two: Many Sides to a Person ~**_

_"Man is least himself when he talks in his own person. Give him a mask, and he will tell you the truth." ~ Oscar Wilde_

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_**:: Nurse Hatchet ::**_

With someone as stubborn as Robert, the former SOLDIER should have expected the hospice to send in someone who could eventually handle his thick-headed personality.

It just so happened that the rumors spoke of a person just as hardheaded as the old man himself.

Enter Hazel Milton, new caretaker and volunteer; a short, plump brunette who was a fresh business graduate. She was determined to do some work in social services before entering the business world. Her nature to prove herself in the face of a real challenge was the reason the hospice set her up especially for Robert.

At first, just as Robert did so to Genesis, the former CIA agent made it his goal to set her running off in the other direction with his renowned 'spy glare'. The old man's intimidation tactics worked for a few hours or so. However, because Hazel wasn't the type to back down chaos ensued soon after.

Genesis hadn't been sure that he could have passed his history test with an A minus the next day due to the volume of the other two beforehand when he was studying. Still, he couldn't abandon the old man, and on the other side it was nice to have backup in taking care of Robert.

_'But which side should I choose?'_, Genesis thought grimly. He was aware of his own fiery nature and getting involved with his own side would make matters worse, not to mention a hassle for him. After another three days of observing and weighing the odds, the two factions looked to him for support.

"Sorry Robert, but I'm going to have to side with Hazel on this one," Genesis spoke, looking anywhere but at the old man. The ex-SOLDIER was quite sure that the patient was boring a glare into the back of his head while the girl whooped in victory and thanked him.

Of course, Genesis had good intentions in mind so that Robert was cared for, but that wasn't his real reason he agreed in the first place. His true motive really was because he shuddered to get on the girl's bad side, which reminded him far too much of the fist-fighter back on Gaia: Tifa Lockhart. Sure, Hazel was far from being a fighter like Cloud's 'sweetheart' was, but the fact she had a legendary temper when it came to the house hold was way too similar.

Forget the term 'Mother Hen', as Genesis figured the title didn't really serve justice. When it came to women like both of them they were more correctly defined as 'Mama Bear' - mess with their children or pretty much their household territory and be ready to get your butt kicked. Still, Genesis' name for her was more of 'Nurse Hatchet'; thanks to her way of cutting arguments in two when he and Robert argued about something.

The last thing the red-head wanted was to be on the opposite side of a person that rivaled Tifa's ire. As for Robert, he'd just have to live with it.

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_**:: Trio ::**_

The residents of the hospice from that moment on had reluctantly accepted the noisy trio as part of their establishment. It was bad enough having Robert around being the grumpy person that he was. But now, with his two compatriots, or 'rowdy youngsters' as the elderly preferred to call them, not a day went by that there didn't seem to be something unexpected happening in what was once a nice, quiet hospice.

One explanation for why things had become so much more noisy was the presence of Genesis. Between games, pranks, and other activities, for those who were close to death seemed the house seemed to show signs of renewed life.

Some people weren't all too happy with the change while others were curious as to what the three were up to next—a change from the typical boring routine of the dull hospice.

Who knew that a red-haired teenager, a business graduate volunteering as a nurse, and a former government agent could make things turn out so different?

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_**:: Temperamental ::**_

Between juggling school and going to the hospice, Genesis was in a better mood these days. The only thing he had to watch out for was when Old Man Robert got temperamental.

Naturally, the crimson commander didn't blame the him. His disease was similar to his degradation; at some tiresome points the pain got too excruciating that painkillers didn't work. So that left the old man to vent out the pain which in turn meant Genesis would be expected to avoid flying objects—vases, ornaments, a lamp, and so on—that sat on his bedside table. Though it was good exercise for his enhanced reflexes, the ex-SOLDIER was happy that Robert's old age inhibited him from letting the table fly, too.

Hazel was afraid at first, frightened by the old man's outbursts, but gradually accepting of it as typical thing once Genesis explained to her that it was how Robert coped with his pain.

"I never figured you to be the patient type, Genesis," she admitted to the teen.

He blinked and shrugged his shoulders, saying, "I've never thought I'd _be _considered the patient type."

Genesis was without a doubt that he'd usually been the one to go into temper tantrums in the past. He wasn't called hotheaded for just the color of his hair. Were he here, Genesis was positive that his best friend would be laughing at the irony right now.

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_**:: Nimble ::**_

If there was one thing Robert could say about Genesis, he didn't doubt at all that the adolescent was nimble.

Despite his thin athletic build, the retired agent would observe Genesis come and go swiftly with little noise whether he chose to use the window or the door. His ability to efficiently sneak around people without attracting any attention probably would have left most of his fellow agents shocked back in his day. Avoiding most of the staff and even Hazel at times without being seen was proof of some kind of expertise. It was a clue that the boy was trained, but when the war veteran asked Genesis where he received it, the responses he got were confusing verses from a poem about some goddess.

Genesis answered him truthfully, but the old man knew he was no linguist. He had tried to ask Hazel for a clarification to what the teen meant, but she didn't seem bothered by it. Or, rather, she had her nose stuck in a business book.

Robert rolled his eyes as he grumbled to himself, _'Why do kids have to be so quick-witted these days?'_

And whenever Robert wanted to ask Genesis more questions when Hazel wasn't around, the boy managed pull a Houdini and disappear. How and when the teenager was able to make such an escape, Robert wasn't too sure, but being more nimble than the average secret agent didn't help.

_'And how does he know I was going to ask about his background?'_, Robert pondered indignantly while Genesis remained mysteriously absent until he chose to give up and move on to other matters, all as if he was psychic.

.

.

_**:: Cards ::**_

One of the ways to pass the time (when Genesis didn't have homework) was to play poker. The hospice staff wasn't sure how old man Robert got the chips into their establishment, but they did have suspicions that Hazel turned a blind eye or Genesis snuck them in. Sadly, the rest of the elderly population couldn't complain since there was no real money involved.

During the games, Hazel reluctantly had to admit she was no match for the other two males in the room. She only had recently been taught the game, unlike Genesis or Robert. Seeing the poker faces those two wore while playing made her wonder how they could keep them on so perfectly.

Eventually, the girl gave up playing a game she had no real chance at winning and became the dealer instead. It was both amusing and interesting as she observed the two tallying up their wins. She wasn't so surprised by Robert's expertise because he had a history working for one of the United States' several intelligence agencies. Rather, it was Genesis' skill at it that Hazel found puzzling. Was it because of his time out on the streets? That wasn't a satisfying explanation, especially when poker games were usually won with experience. She shrugged it off, figuring that it was probably a genius thing for Genesis. So far the boy was ahead by five games and Robert looked as if a vein was about to pop in his head.

"Three kings," the elder man smugly said. "Three of a kind."

Genesis smirked back as he laid his own cards down, "Full house."

As Robert angrily gritted his teeth in defeat, their dealer shook her head and chuckled.

_Make that six._

.

.

_**:: Dramatic ::**_

Robert had a wry expression on his face as he pensively thought, _'Was dramatic flair a trend for youth these days?'_

The girl whom he had fondly dubbed Nurse Hatchet—though he wouldn't admit it—had a tendency to rant and snark when she was having a bad day. Even so, her penchant for it didn't escalate to the level Genesis Rhapsodos brought it.

No matter what mood the teen was in, Genesis recited dialogues from plays, quotations, and poetry in-between his sentences when he spoke as if it were the most natural thing in the world. Robert honestly couldn't care less for what LOVELESS was about. Still, at times he wondered why the kid obsessed over it. However, it didn't help that Genesis was also capable of doing it to get on Robert's nerves for fun. This usually occurred during their frequent bouts of poker.

The old man would bet that almost anyone would be driven nuts—to the point of _insanity_, even—if they had to listen a recital of _Hamlet_ during a poker game; it was the reason why Robert was now fifteen games behind Genesis.

.

.

_**:: Monopoly ::**_

If there was one game Genesis where had to agree that both he and Old Man Robert were getting their asses kicked, Monopoly was one such game.

As gifted a tactician and strategist as Genesis was, he just couldn't handle finances. Coming in last place in the past few games strengthened his resolve to learn new things in this new life. Robert, on the other hand, wasn't so encouraged. While the former CIA agent did manage his money adequately well, he was only playing the game out of sheer boredom.

So when Hazel asked him why managing finances wasn't appealing to him, Robert shrugged like it was nothing. "Back in the day we had the financial division take care of it."

"And your own financial paperwork?" the girl asked again, guessing the guy at least would have been a senior supervisor once.

Robert smirked, "My assistant handled it."

As the social worker rolled her eyes, Genesis chuckled with mirth. He would have given the same answer as Robert when he served his time back in ShinRa. The former 1st Class SOLDIER also took note to never ask the man about anything related to finances, seeing that Hazel was the business graduate.

.

.

_**:: Obsessive ::**_

When 'Mama bear', as Genesis nicknamed her, wasn't around, Robert focused on his sole mission—though some might rather call it an obsession—to learn more about his cryptic young friend.

There had been plenty of questions and theories that had sprouted in his mind about where Genesis Rhapsodos was really from. It was the kid's genius mind and emotional maturity that took the top spot on Robert's list of things to explain. While the teen was good at disguising it in front of Hazel, masking his maturity with jokes and sarcastic comments didn't fool Robert's experienced eyes.

Although there were many cases where Genesis took part in having fun and mercilessly annoying him and Hazel to no end, at times Robert could detect an underlying sense of regret and sadness in him whenever he eyed Robert in his condition. Oddly enough, they weren't eyes of sympathy for a sick man, but rather a thoughtful gaze of remembrance that almost said that he personally knew what it felt like to be in his situation.

More disturbingly, those same eyes also revealed the regret of someone who made the mistake of a lifetime. Robert had figured that Genesis' past was probably a tragic one, but his mannerisms weren't always that of a young adult such as Hazel. They belonged to a grown man who had seen many things. Many _unpleasant_ things that Robert was sure he'd rather do without.

This alone pointed to the rather scary conclusion that perhaps Genesis was a lot older than he looked. He shook his head at the idea of time travel or any other reality-defying explanations.

Rather than asking straightforwardly, Robert had then decided to wait it out and proceed slowly. The kid was already wary enough with the more direct approaches he tried previously. If that couldn't get results, then he'd do it the old fashion way of getting to know Genesis on a personal level. At least if it was one hell of a secret he'd take it to the grave.

.

.

_**:: Bad Days ::**_

Like everyone else in the universe, there were bad days when Genesis Rhapsodos felt that his second life tended to be awful. That particular day just wasn't his day.

Way too early in the morning he was woken up by a nightmare; where the memories of his past life came back to haunt him: he was in the middle or his worst condition to his degradation. The pain, suffering, and remorse whiplashed full force when he awoke abruptly in his bed to find it was at 3 AM in the morning. Afterward, he couldn't sleep with the fear he'd dream it again if he closed his eyes.

His classes that day in high school didn't make things any better. Resentment from his peers in wanting to make his life as miserable as possible was taking a toll on his mind. Now, there were also some teachers who didn't like him for being too smart. Even if his grades didn't suffer from it, he almost blew up at a teacher who had taken a liking to trample on his dignity when the guy felt like it. The day wasn't worst one he'd had, but the frustration built upon months since school started was eating up his heart and mind to the brink of defeat.

At the end of the school day, he had immediately left the school premises without a thought to find some form of peace and quiet. Originally he had thought of not visiting Robert for that day so he could lock himself in his room back at the foster home, but his legs found their way instead back to the hospice.

As usual, he sat on the chair beside Robert's bed, but he did not speak or say anything. Genesis let a breath out and sighed letting all the pent-up disappointment out. What he didn't expect, was a hand over his head that rubbed him in a comforting gesture Angeal would usually do to reassure Zack when he was feeling down.

In his previous life, he would have slapped the hand away. This time around, he let the hand linger longer. His foster parents back on Gaia never gave the affection he craved no matter how much he tried earning it, and when he was in SOLDIER any idea of someone parenting him was unacceptable with his inflated ego in the way. Here, he was just an adolescent.

"Even the worst things will have to pass Genesis," Robert said, after a long silence. "And just because I'm a crippled old patient stuck in a hospice doesn't mean you can't let an adult share that load you're having trouble with."

"It's nothing," the teen said, trying to attempt a poker face but it wasn't working.

The old man rolled his eyes heavenward. "Bullshit. I know a tired face when I see one. One way or another you're going to have to let all the stress out. You might as well get over it now than let it cause grievances later. I'm willing to listen if you're up for it."

Another thing he didn't like about Robert was he was a very extremely persistent man. Genesis was able to avoid questions pertaining to his previous life, but he couldn't really avoid question that had to do with his day-to-day life. In the end, he caved and told the old man about having a nightmare (although he didn't explain in full detail) and how school was giving him trouble. Unexpectedly he never thought about Robert giving him a solution to his problems. But taking the old man's advice lead him to sleep better that night and enjoy his school day better the next day.

While he knew Robert's time was short, Genesis learned to cherish the old man as more than just as a friend. To him, it was like getting to know and be fond of a father he never had.

.

.

_**:: Apples ::**_

If there was something Robert and Hazel could agree upon it was that they thought Genesis' love for apples to be strange. While the fruit was certainly a healthy one, they couldn't understand why Genesis tended to treat them like a staple food.

One notion that the volunteer nurse had proposed was that perhaps at some point when Genesis was a kid he was a country boy. Maybe a farm where he lived had grown apples and that living off of it was a norm.

Robert in contrast didn't believe in Hazel's theory. If Genesis had grown up on a farm, he'd expect to him have a lingering country accent. He believed that the apples had a deeper meaning to Genesis. Honestly, who eats a bowl of apples nearly every day like it was a ritual? Even vegetarians weren't that crazy, and Robert didn't think it was for dieting purposes as the kid didn't have a weight problem. Saying it was 'the gift of the Goddess' was one idea that leads to the fact there was a story behind his craze for apples.

Meanwhile, Genesis sat silently with a small grin rising to his lips, his nose stuck in a book. It was fun seeing and listening in on them debate, guess, and Genesis would let them try to figure it all out without being helpful in giving answers. It was a shame they didn't know both theories were _right_.

.

.

* * *

_"Virtue has a veil, vice a mask." ~ Victor Hugo_

* * *

_**TBC... Chapter 3 of 5.**_

_**End** **Notes:** _Yes, I will admit Hazel is an OC; but she's there more as an observer/mediator than anything and I don't do MS/GS characters. This fic is focused on Genesis and Robert's friendship, so I needed a third person to observe the two.

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